VARIABLE ANGLE LOCKING IMPLANT

• US 20180250049A1
• Filed: 05/03/2018
• Published: 09/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Baker, Charles R., Stevenson, Ryan, Gerlach, Darin S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,448,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8052 immobilised relative to screws by interlocking form of the heads and plate holes, e.g. conical or threaded

Abstract

A variable angle locking implant includes a bone plate having a lower surface, an upper surface, and at least one opening extending from the lower surface to the upper surface along an axis. The opening has a plurality of fins oriented along a plane. The axis is non-perpendicular to a tangent of a projection of the lower surface across the opening, the tangent defined at the intersection between the axis and the projected lower surface, and/or the plane is non-parallel to the tangent. The implant includes at least one fastener, and the plurality of fins are deflectable relative to a head portion of the fastener such that the fastener can be inserted and retained at any one of a plurality of angles.

Claims

1. A bone plate comprising:

an upper surface;

a lower surface; and

at least one opening extending from the lower surface to the upper surface and including a plurality of first fins and a plurality of second fins;

wherein the plurality of first fins are closer to the upper surface than the plurality of second fins; and

wherein the plurality of first fins and the plurality of second fins are adapted and configured to one of deflect or deform in order to secure a position of a head of a bone fastener inserted into the at least one opening.

2. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first and second fins each include a concave portion for cooperating with a head of a bone fastener.

3. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first and second fins each have a tapered surface extending from an inner surface of the at least one opening to a terminal end of the fin.

4. The bone plate of claim 1, further comprising at least one fastener, the fastener being at least partially threaded and having a head portion and a shaft portion, wherein the at least one opening is adapted to receive the at least one fastener, and wherein the plurality of first and second fins are deflectable relative to the head portion of the at least one fastener so that when the at least one fastener is inserted into the at least one opening, the at least one fastener is retained at any one of a plurality of angles relative to the at least one opening.

5. The bone plate of claim 4, wherein the plurality of first and second fins are deflectable so that at least some of the first and second fins are interposed between adjacent threads formed on the head portion of the at least one fastener.

6. The bone plate of claim 1, further comprising at least one fastener, the fastener being at least partially threaded and having a head portion and a shaft portion, wherein the at least one opening is adapted to receive the at least one fastener, and wherein the plurality of first and second fins are deformable so that when the at least one fastener is inserted into the at least one opening, the at least one fastener is retained at any one of a plurality of angles relative to the at least one opening.

7. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first fins are positioned in a first plane and the plurality of second fins are positioned in a second plane, the first and second planes being parallel and offset relative to each other.

8. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the at least one opening has an axis, the axis being oriented non-perpendicular to the lower surface of the bone plate.

9. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first fins and the plurality of second fins each include five to eight fins.

10. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first fins and the plurality of second fins are each integrally connected to, and protruding from, an inner surface of the at least one opening.

11. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first fins and the plurality of second fins are each provided in a series of concavely indented, inwardly protruding fins that are adapted to secure a threaded head portion of a fastener inserted into the at least one opening at varying angles.

12. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein the at least one opening has a radius between the inner surface and a top surface of the plurality of first fins, each fin tapering in thickness from an inner surface of the at least one opening towards a terminal end of the fin.

13. The bone plate of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first and second fins include inwardly tapered side surfaces.